Tag: representatives

New Jersey representatives vow fight against New York’s ‘cash-grabbing’ congestion pricing plan

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“New York City wants this because they want cash in their pockets,” Menendez said. “We’re going to keep fighting the cash-grabbing MTA.”
The congestion tax shifts money from the Port Authority to the MTA, Menendez said, which could threaten the Port Authority’s ability to improve the PATH service and add more riders.
New York’s plan also includes no expansion of New York City subway’s seven line to Secaucus Junction, a proposed solution that would provide a commuting alternative and get cars off the road, Menendez said.
Gottheimer, who co-chairs the Congressional Anti-Congestion Tax Caucus, called the tax plan “absurd” and “anti-environment.” He said a full environmental study should be done and he intends to submit a comment during the 30-day review period demanding the Biden administration reconsider the decision.
The MTA hasn’t determined how much to charge drivers, but options include fares ranging from $9 to $23 for passenger vehicles.
Gottheimer has introduced legislation in the meantime intended to aid commuters, which includes laborers, nurses and restaurant workers who can’t afford the added costs.
“It’s not right to suddenly drop a $23 dollar-a-day, or $5,000-a-year bill, on top of the $17 dollars they pay to enter this tunnel every day, not including gas or nearly $35 dollars to park,” Gottheimer said.
The environmental assessment of the plan found that the congestion tax, if implemented this year, would increase pollutants in the Bronx, Staten Island, Nassau and Bergen Counties. It also showed there would be increases in particulate matter, nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide in Bergen County this year.

“New York’s congestion pricing plan stands to push traffic and pollution to our communities,” Menendez said. “While New York is funding environmental mitigation in the Bronx, they refuse to do so for our communities.”
The MTA plans to spend $130 million in revenue to mitigate environmental impacts in New York, but will not do so in New Jersey.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy called the Biden administration’s approval of the plan “unfair and ill-advised.” Murphy said his administration is looking into legal options to fight the plan.
“Everyone in the region deserves access to more reliable mass transit, but placing an unjustified financial burden on the backs of hardworking New Jersey commuters is wrong,” Murphy said in a statement.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

May 10, 2023
AMU starts process to hold election for teachers’ representatives to Executive Council

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Aligarh: The Aligarh Muslim University on Saturday initiated the process to hold an election for teachers’ representatives to the Executive Council by appointing a chief election officer.
The development comes ahead of the council’s meeting for empanelling the next vice chancellor of AMU.
According to an official notification issued by the AMU, Professor Mohhamad Parwez has been appointed as the chief election officer to conduct the elections for selecting the four teachers’ representatives.

The teachers are elected to the council for a period of three years. The elections were last held in 2018 and the term of the representatives elected back then ended in 2021, AMU officials said.
Senior faculty members had last month announced that if elections to several democratic institutions of the university were not announced at an early date, the “teachers would have no option but to start an agitation to press for their demand”.
Professor Aftab Alam, a senior faculty member who was earlier representing the teachers in the council, welcomed the development.
“No elections have been held since 2018 and this step was long overdue. We are now awaiting the notification of dates because any further delay in holding these elections will lead to delay in the appointment of the next vice chancellor,” he said.

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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 6, 2023
UN representatives criticise Germany over reparations for colonial crimes in Namibia

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UN special rapporteurs have criticised the German and Namibian governments for violating the rights of Herero and Nama ethnic minorities by excluding them from talks over reparations for colonial crimes against their ancestors.
Publishing their communication with both governments, the seven UN representatives urged Germany to take responsibility for all its colonial crimes in Namibia – including mass murder – and said it was wrong for the Herero and Nama to have been involved indirectly in talks via an advisory committee. They called on Germany to pay reparations directly to the Herero and Nama and not to the Namibian government.
The special rapporteurs have concentrated on getting to the bottom of suspected contraventions of international law. They were assigned the roles by the UN human rights council as independent experts, but are not being paid by the international body. Governments cannot be forced to act on their reports. However, they are seen to have a strong influence.
At the heart of the matter is the brutal murder of tens of thousands of Herero and Nama between 1904 and 1908 when Germany was the colonial power in what was then German South West Africa.
In January, lawyers in Namibia operating on behalf of the Herero and Nama submitted a claim to a Namibian court, urging it to declare the “joint declaration” between Germany and Namibia invalid as it contravened various articles in the Namibian constitution. If the claim is successful the agreement would have to be negotiated anew.
The governments in Berlin and Windhoek agreed the declaration in 2021 after years of discussion. However, it has never been signed because of its rejection by several Herero and Nama associations, who demanded a direct participation in the negotiations, as well as reparations. Agreement had been made on German payments of about €1.1bn (£1bn) over a period of three decades to finance development projects.
In February, the rapporteurs dispatched their letter expressing “grave concerns” over violation of international law to the German and Namibian governments, granting them 60 days to respond, within which timeframe the letter would remain confidential. The German government acknowledged the significance of the rapporteurs’ work and asked for an extension. The Namibian government has so far failed to respond.
In their letter, the rapporteurs said Berlin must acknowledge its responsibility “for the crimes carried out during its era of colonial rule”, adding that the agreement failed to include any effective reparation measures or the necessary means for reconciliation.

Berlin’s plans for reconstruction and development programmes were insufficient to compensate the victims and their descendants for the “scale of the damage that was done to them”. That included the harm suffered as a result of the mass killings, including “starvation, torture, gendered violence, forced labour and loss of property”, the effects of which are felt today. They said development aid as a form of reparation was also in danger of “perpetuating rather than rectifying, colonial dynamics”. They were also critical of the way in which the negotiations had been kept secret.
Karina Theuer, an expert in international law and an adviser to lawyers in Namibia, said it would be necessary to start a new negotiation process. She told the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: “This must be transparent and in compliance with legal minimum standards.”
In February, Gaob Johannes Isaak, the chair of the Nama Traditional Leaders Association, told the Guardian: “Reparations would bring back dignity, self-worth and play a meaningful role in our own development and education for the Nama people so we can share equally in the resources of Namibia.”
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( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )

April 28, 2023
Resolution introduced in US House of Representatives to designate April 14 as National Sikh Day

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Washington: A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced a resolution in the US House of Representatives to designate April 14 as National Sikh Day in a bid to honour and celebrate the important role played by the Sikh community in strengthening and inspiring the people of the United States.
Observing that the US is enriched by the diversity of its residents, who have cultivated a climate of social tolerance and intellectual pluralism that has sustained the Nation throughout its history, the resolution said that Vaisakhi is a special occasion in which Sikhs remember the founding in 1699 of the Order of Khalsa, which played an important role in shaping the religion’s history and identity.
Introduced by Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, the resolution says that through leading charitable events, the Sikh community embodies the sense of public service that underlies the founding principles of the US.

Stating that people of the US feel obliged to honour the Sikh community’s important role in supporting and enriching the social fabric of the Nation, the resolution said Vaisakhi is a special occasion in which Sikhs remember the founding in 1699 of the Order of Khalsa, a fellowship of devout saint-soldier Sikhs, by the 10th Sikh Guru to fight tyranny and oppression, which played an important role in shaping the religion’s history and identity.
“It is altogether fitting and proper to celebrate the day of Vaisakhi alongside Sikhs throughout the world and to honour the lasting contributions made by the Sikh community to the US,” said the resolution.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 4, 2023
In a new outreach, RSS leader Indresh Kumar meets representatives of Muslim countries

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New Delhi: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, senior Sangh leaders Indresh Kumar, Krishna Gopal and Ram Lal have been regularly holding interactions with Muslim intellectuals for some time now.
Recently, a new episode of these interactions was witnessed in the national capital in which India, and along with over 10 Muslim countries, began a fresh campaign in the biggest ever non-governmental exercise. In this, unity in diversity, harmony, cooperation, education, culture, literature, coordination, religious restraint and respect and trade have been emphasised.
Under the joint aegis of the Himalaya Hind Rashtra Group, Forum for Awareness of National Security (FANS) and School of Language Literature and Culture Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), a two-day international seminar was held at the Convention Centre of JNU on the topic of historical, cultural and economic links between India and Central Asia.
A large number of Muslim intellectuals participated in the meeting.
Diplomats, high commissioners, scholars and intellectuals from at least 12 Muslim countries participated in the international seminar at the JNU under the leadership of senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar.
Those who attended included Iraj Elahi from Iran, Firat Sonal from Turkey, Lukmon Baba Kolajdeh from Tajikistan, Nurlan Zalgaisbaev and Habibullo Mirzozoda from Kazakhstan, Asin Isaev from Kyrgyzstan, Dilsod Akhmatov and Aziz Bartoun from Uzbekistan, Shalar Geldinjarov from Turkmenistan, Ganbold from Mongolia. Dambajav, Armen Martirosyan from Armenia, Farid Mamundzai from Afghanistan and Ashraf Shikhaliyev from Azerbaija.
The foreign participants during their speech underlined that “India, as our elder brother should play the role of Vishwaguru”.
On this, Indresh Kumar said: “Our concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is to treat everyone as a family. India is a country full of diversity.”

Ambassadors, High Commissioners and representatives of more than 50 participants of 12 countries demanded that a mission document, which can also be called a vision document, be prepared on the entire programme under the leadership of leader Indresh Kumar.
In the seminar, Subhas Sarkar, Union Minister of State for Education; Iqbal Singh Lalpura, Chairman, National Commission for Minorities; Indira Gandhi Kala Kendra Secretary, Sachidanand Joshi; General Secretary of Rashtriya Suraksha Jagran Manch, Golok Behari and Convener of International Seminar, Prof. from Jamia Millia Islamia M Mahtab Alam Rizvi also participated.
During an exclusive interview with IANS on the sidelines of the event, Indresh Kumar also spoke about some current issues.
IANS: How can we end terrorism?
Kumar: Terrorism is the enemy of peace, development, harmony and humanity. Bombs, ammo, shells, bullets or stones are not the solution to any problem. There is no place for anti-social things like terrorism and Maoism in any civilised society, so everyone should unite and strongly oppose it. The delegates said that they will not allow it to flourish in their countries and also appealed to the world that all countries should unite against terrorism.
IANS: Is religion becoming an issue in harmony?
Kumar: Criticising religion, religious scriptures, religious places, gods, goddesses, deities, prophets etc., creates violence and anarchy, which is condemnable. That’s why everyone should follow their own religion and not disrespect other religions, thus walking on the path of peace, unity, brotherhood and harmony.
IANS: Religious conversion is becoming an issue in society…
Kumar: The Chief Patron of the Forum for Awareness of National Security (FANS) said that it is necessary to stop religious conversions for world peace and development.
IANS: There was a buzz in the seminar that peace and harmony cannot be established with India. Would you elaborate on this?
Kumar: It was discussed in the seminar that the path of world peace and progress passes through Asia and peace and harmony cannot be established in the world without India. It was also agreed that in addition to the air route, mutual unity and integrity should be promoted through road and sea routes.
“Andhakar Mitayenge, Prakash Layenge” was also a collective voice that was heard in the seminar.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 3, 2023